Chris Hope fined $30,000 for shot on Victor Cruz

Falcons safety Chris Hope said he expected to be fined this week for his helmet-to-helmet shot on Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, and he was.

The league hit Hope for $30,000 for his third-quarter hit, which was among the more obvious this season.

Hope initially told the Atlanta Journal Constitution he didn’t think he got Cruz in the head, but after seeing the tape, admitted he did.

“Hopefully, I won’t (be fined) but there are rules and regulations,” Hope said. “I’m not a dirty player. It was just a part of the game. I got caught in a situation where I just made a play on the ball.”

Perhaps so, but Cruz’s head took the worst of it, followed closely by Hope’s wallet.